Kanoza: 'COVID is still here'
Apr. 10—PLATTSBURGH — Though about half of eligible Clinton County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, local health officials remain concerned that residents are becoming lax in their efforts to help stop the spread.
"We have said this many times before, but we cannot emphasize it enough," Clinton County Health Department Director of Public Health John Kanoza said in a statement. "As much as we want to be done with this virus and pandemic, we are not there yet.
"Residents must continue to be vigilant."
COVID STILL HERE
According to Kanoza, the agency's contact tracing and case investigation team continues to consistently see a minimum of 20 to 30 new cases each day throughout the county, affecting residents of all ages.
He advised those who do not feel well to isolate themselves from others, get tested and remain at home while awaiting the results.
"We are seeing many instances where people are having symptoms, but continue to go to work, school, gatherings, and travel, often not getting tested or isolating until their symptoms worsen or others around them become sick as well.
"In the meantime, they're exposing a large number of people unnecessarily. This isn't over, COVID is still here, and your individual actions matter,"
POPULATION, TESTING
It appears Essex County has averaged about three new cases per day over the last month, Essex County Health Department Program Coordinator Andrea Whitmarsh said.
It's hard to say with certainty why the numbers there are so much lower than in Clinton County, she continued, noting that Essex County's much lower population is definitely a contributing factor.
Referencing the state Department of Health's COVID-19 Dashboard, Whitmarsh said it appears more people are getting tested in Clinton County per capita than in Essex County.
"This could be due to the pooled testing being done each week by SUNY Plattsburgh or the proximity of a larger proportion of the county population to a convenient mass testing site," she continued.
"We also know that the trend over the past couple months has been that younger people are getting infected at greater rates. The higher case numbers in Clinton County could, in part, be due to this trend since there is a higher proportion of younger people in Clinton County."
PRECAUTIONS, VACCINES
Both health departments continue to encourage residents to exercise COVID precautions, including staying home when sick, wearing masks that cover their noses and mouths, social distancing, frequent handwashing and/or sanitizing, and avoiding crowds and gatherings,
They also recommend people get vaccinated as soon as possible.
"They are safe, effective, and more evidence now shows that protection — from serious illness AND infection — is fairly long-lasting (upwards of six months or longer)," Whitmarsh said.
"Being vaccinated allows us to gather more safely with others who are vaccinated, and as more people are fully vaccinated, will help prevent future surges in infections."
VARIANTS
This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the U.K. variant of the coronavirus is now the dominant strain in the country.
CCHD Principal Public Health Educator Jennifer Trudeau said it is likely that more contagious variants are contributing to increases in cases locally.
"But at this time, we can't say that with certainty. The test results CCHD receives only show whether the virus was detected, not the specific strain of the virus present."
Whitmarsh similarly noted the assumption that the variants are here. In January, the state Department of Health notified ECHD that a case of the U.K. variant had been detected in Essex County.
"The state and CDC are tracking variant case reports; however, it's important to mention that not all labs have the capability to do the genomic sequencing required to identify the variants, so only a small proportion of samples are likely being sequenced.
"Finding one variant in a small sample size gives a pretty good indication that there are more."
EASTER CONCERNS
CCHD is apprehensive about new cases following Easter and spring break, during which many gathered or traveled.
"While we are excited to see the number of individuals who are vaccinated increasing quickly, overall, the number of people who are fully vaccinated is still fairly low," Trudeau said.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after administration of the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
"Many families traveled together, and children under 16 years of age are not yet eligible for vaccine, so there's definitely risk involved in traveling," Trudeau continued. "We encourage everyone, especially those who have traveled, to monitor themselves closely for symptoms."
Whitmarsh said ECHD anticipates a possible spike following the holiday break, but hopes warmer weather allowed gatherings to happen outdoors, lowering the likelihood of transmission.
"This, coupled with an increasing number of people who are vaccinated, might help keep us far below the surge we saw after Thanksgiving and Christmas. At least, this is our hope anyway."
Email Cara Chapman:
Twitter: @PPR_carachapman
